The document discusses techniques for high resolution site characterization and indoor air sampling for VOCs and SVOCs using passive soil gas surveys and sorbent samplers. It provides an overview of Beacon Environmental Services' experience and accreditations. The document also presents a case study using passive soil gas sampling to identify sources of contamination at a Department of Defense facility, with maps showing the distribution of detected compounds.

1. High Resolution Site Characterization and
Indoor Air Sampling Techniques for
VOCs/SVOCs
Presented by:
Harry O’Neill
President
Beacon Environmental Services, Inc.
National Association of Remedial Project Managers Annual Training Program
30 November 2012 1

2. Road Map
• Beacon Environmental: Background, Experience, and Certifications
• Sorbent samplers
• Passive Soil Gas (PSG) Surveys – High Resolution Site Characterization
• PSG Survey Case Study – DoD Facility
• Sorbent samplers to measure VOC concentrations
• Passive Diffusion Samplers Case Study – 14 Day Sampling Period at
DoD Facility
• Conclusions
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3. Experience -- The Company and the People
• Beacon Environmental uses sorbent-based techniques to
identify VOCs and SVOCs in soil vapor and indoor/ambient air
• Beacon provides easy-to-use test kits for clients to collect
samples
• Analyses of the samples are performed at Beacon’s laboratory,
which is DoD ELAP and ISO 17025 accredited for the analysis of
soil gas and air samples
• Beacon’s staff has managed soil gas investigations for more
than 20 years working on DOD and DOE federal facilities within
the USA and internationally, as well as on federal superfund
sites.
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4. Laboratory Accreditation
Beacon is a specialized laboratory focused on providing highly
accurate soil gas and air data
Accredited in accordance with:
U.S. DoD Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP)
ISO/IEC 17025:2005
Accredited Analytical Methods:
U.S. EPA Methods 8260C, TO-17, and TO-15
Beacon’s Quality System ensures consistent and reliable results
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5. Only EPA Method TO-17 DoD ELAP Accredited Lab
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6. Only EPA Method 8260C DoD ELAP Accredited Lab -- Air
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7. Field Sampling Accreditation
Beacon provides our services through easy to use field kits, but
also has trained personnel to collect soil gas or air samples
Accredited in accordance with:
TNI National Environmental Field Activities Program (NEFAP ) Accredited
for Environmental Field Sampling (Air and Emissions)
Accredited for the collection of soil gas and air samples.
Passive and Active sampling methods.
*First and only company in the nation
to receive NEFAP accreditation.*
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8. Sorbent Samplers – Passive and Active
Sorbent samplers can target VOCs and SVOCs
Used for soil gas, indoor air, and ambient air applications
Compact and easy-to-use
Able to achieve very low detection limits
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9. High Resolution Site Characterization – PSG Surveys
High Resolution Site Characterization
(HRSC)
Passive soil gas surveys allow for the use of
best management practices (BMP) to
better characterize site
PSG is a tool that collects “effective data” –
data that meets the project objectives
and is cost-effective1
BEACON PSG Sampler
High Quality Screening Data = Effective Data
(1) Crumbling, D.M., C. Groenjes, B. Lesnik, K. Lynch, J. Shockley, J. van Ee, R.A. Howe, L.H. Keith, and J. McKenna. 2001.
Managing Uncertainty in Environmental Decisions: Applying the Concept of Effective Data at Contaminated Sites Could Reduce
Costs and Improve Cleanups. Environmental Science & Technology 35:9, pp. 404A-409A
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10. What is high resolution?
Sampling Grid with 90 Foot Spacing 10

11. High Resolution – Now you got the picture
HRSC Sampling Grid with 30 Foot Spacing 11

12. BEACON PSG Sampler
Two types of Two pairs for
adsorbents to duplicate or
target a broad confirmatory
range of analysis
compounds
ASTM Standards D5314 and D7758 Compliant
The sorbents need to be hydrophobic and the housing of the
PSG Samplers should not contain sorptive materials (e.g.,
PDMS or other membranes) that may compete with the
sorbents and bias results
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13. Passive Soil Gas Sample Collection Kit
Passive Soil Gas Technologies are typically provided
through sample collection kits and
only require hand tools for sample collection.
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14. Sampling Options
Surface Placed:
Static Flux Chambers
Subsurface:
Samplers installed in Completely non-intrusive
holes as shallow as 10 cm
Sites with UXO or CWA concerns
Typically installed in 3 cm
diam. holes advanced to
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30 cm to 1 m depth

15. Sustainable Technology
Green CharacterizationTM
IN THE FIELD
No waste from soil cuttings are generated when sampling.
Only hand tools required to collect samples -- no DPT or drill rigs.
In-situ sample collection onto adsorbents that are reused, no waste.
IN THE LAB
Samples analyzed using thermal desorption-gas chromatography/
mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS) instrumentation.
No solvents are used for sample extraction.
A green site investigation relies on information gained from a
thorough preliminary assessment that identifies target areas and
site conditions through minimally intrusive techniques.
-- USEPA OSWER Dec. 2009
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16. Benefits of HRSC
High Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC)
High Density, Low Cost Low Density, High Cost
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17. Routine Targets
Halogenated compounds Complex mixtures
• PCE • Stoddard solvent
• TCE • Paint thinners
• DCEs
Petroleum Blends
• Vinyl chloride
• Gasoline
• TCA
• Carbon tetrachloride • Fuel oil
• Chloroform • Diesel
• Freons • Jet Fuel
• Chlorobenzene BTEX, MTBE and PAHs
• Dichlorobenzenes • Naphthalene
• Trichlorobenzenes • 2-Methylnaphthalene
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18. Additional Targets
Heavier PAHs
• Acenaphthalene, Fluorene, Pyrene
Ketones
Alcohols
Explosives Total Nitrotoluenes & DNTs
• Nitrotoluenes, Dinitrotoluenes, Nitrobenzenes
Pesticides
Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA) and Breakdown Products
• Mustard, GB, VX, 1,4-Thioxane, 1,4-Dithiane, Thiodiglycol
Mercury (Hg)
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19. HRSC Case Study: Source Area Identification
Objectives:
Identify sources of
contamination in gw
Challenges:
Legacy contamination
remains from
undocumented
activities
Heavily wooded area
Area receives
significant rainfall
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20. HRSC Case Study: Source Area Identification
Sampling Plan:
Basic grid with 10
meter spacing, as well
as 20 and 40 m spacing
in areas of less concern
Focused in area where
operations were
previously conducted
at the site
Soils: Silty, sands with
clay lenses
GW: Not known, but
~4 m
64 Passive Soil Gas
Sample Locations 20

21. HRSC Case Study: Source Area Identification
PSG Survey
Findings:
Chlorinated
compounds were
present at significant
measurements on
eastern side of site
Results for
Trichloroethene (TCE)
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22. HRSC Case Study: Source Area Identification
Findings:
Results for
Tetrachloroethene
(PCE)
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23. HRSC Case Study: Source Area Identification
PSG Survey
Findings:
Results for 1,1,2,2-
Tetrachloroethane
(R-130)
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24. HRSC Case Study: Source Area Identification
PSG Survey
Findings:
Results for Total VOCs
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25. HRSC Case Study: Source Area Identification
Soil Sampling:
Soil samples were
collected at locations
reporting highest
measurements in the
PSG survey, as well as
at contaminant
boundary areas and
areas reporting non-
detects.
Contamination was
expected to be found
closer to where site
activities occurred.
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26. HRSC Case Study: Source Area Identification
Soil Sampling
Results:
Samples collected at 1
to 1.5 m depth at
multiple intervals of
soil column using Terra
Core sampler
Strategy was to sample
at “hot spots” and
confirm the non-
detects from the
passive soil gas survey
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27. HRSC Case Study: Source Area Identification
PSG and Soil
Results:
Soil samples confirmed
the results of the PSG
survey and identified a
significant source area.
An additional source
area is expected to be
present where the
second highest soil
sample was collected.
The next phase
includes collecting
additional samples to
identify the exact
location of this more
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discrete release.

28. HRSC Case Study: Source Area Identification
PSG and Soil
Results:
Soil sampling alone
likely would not have
identified source areas,
as evident at location
reporting low soil
concentrations.
The PSG survey just as
importantly indicated
where no additional
sampling is required as
was confirmed with the
soil sampling.
Two GW wells are being
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installed at “hot spots.”

29. Reported Data in Units of Mass… Not Concentration
PSG data should not be reported in units of conc.
Reliable relative values in mass between sample
locations are important
All soil gas guidance documents clearly state data not to be
used for determining concentration
No agencies or regulators accepting PSG data converted to
concentration, but Beacon can provide “rule of thumb”
estimates based on empirical data
However, reporting data in units of mass (ng or ug) meets
project objectives to characterize sites and guide where to
collect a limited number of soil, gw, or active soil gas samples
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30. EPA Method TO-17 Provides Concentration Data
Tubes: Method TO-17 with pump
Passive Diffusion Samplers
PDS
No
Method
pumps
TO-17
required
Uses
low-flow
pumps
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31. EPA Method TO-15 – Summa Canisters
No technique is perfect, but something to consider:
In two Method TO-15 interlaboratory comparisons
administered by ERA the acceptance range for PCE
results were:
−33% to 168% (July -Sept 2009 study)
−56% to 131% (October – November 2007 study)
In a 2007 TO-14/TO-15 study conducted by Scott
Specialty Gasses the reported values for toluene
reported by 12 labs varied from 51%-290%
Source: Short-term Variability, Radon Tracer, and Longterm Passive Sampler Performance in the Field
Presented at AEHS 2012 by Christopher Lutes, Brian Cosky, Robert Uppencamp, and Lilian Abreu (ARCADIS)
Brian Schumacher and John Zimmerman (US EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory), Robert Truesdale and Shu-yi
Lin (RTI International), Heidi Hayes (Air Toxics Ltd.), Blayne Hartman (Hartman Environmental Geosciences)
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32. Active Soil Gas Sampling – EPA Method TO-17
Pictures courtesy of AMS, Inc.
Syringe and Sorbent Tube Sampling Pump and Sorbent Tube
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33. Indoor Air Sampling with Sorbents – Active and Passive
Active Sampling Passive Sampling
Calculate concentration:
ug/m3 = mass/(uptake rate x time)
Calculate concentration:
ug/m3 = mass/(flow rate x time) mass = nanograms
uptake rate = ml/min
mass = nanograms time = minutes
flow rate = ml/min (e.g., 1000 x ng/ml = ug/m3)
time = minutes
(e.g., 1000 x ng/ml = ng/L = ug/m3) 33

34. Passive Sampling – 14 day Sampling Periods
Vapor Intrusion Study – June 2012
Industrial Building –
Naval Facility
Building is slab on grade and total
area is approximately 56,700 ft2
Sampled in office spaces and kitchen
with 8-ft ceilings, as well as outside
Prior subslab soil vapor samples
recorded PCE and TCE ranging
from 200 to 120,000 ug/m3
24-Hour Summa canister samples
were compared to samples collected
with passive sorbent tubes over a 14-
day period
Project Management: CH2M Hill 34

35. Passive Sampling – 14 day Sampling Periods
Two Sorbent
Tubes at each
location
Summa canister
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36. Passive Sampling – 14 day Sampling Periods
Comparison Data
Sample Location Indoor #1 Indoor #2 Indoor #3 Indoor #4 Outdoor #1
TO‐17 TO‐17 TO‐17 TO‐17 TO‐17
TO‐15 TO‐15 TO‐15 TO‐15 TO‐15
Compound (14 day) (14 day) (14 day) (14 day) (14 day)
Tetrachloroethene 3.4 3.4 3.6 3.6 0.45 J 0.43 J 0.82 J 0.73 J 0.11 U 0.62 U
Trichloroethene 1.3 1.2 1.8 1.3 0.11 U 0.46 U 16 13 0.11 U 0.49 U
1,1,1‐Trichloroethane 0.12 U 0.46 U 0.12 U 0.47 U 0.12 U 0.46 U 0.12 U 0.43 U 0.12 U 0.50 U
cis‐1,2‐Dichloroethene 2.3 4.8 3.9 5.1 0.40 U 0.19 J 0.59 J 1.1 0.40 U 0.36 U
trans‐1,2‐Dichloroethene 1.5 3.8 2.8 3.9 0.40 U 0.26 J 0.40 U 0.94 0.40 U 0.36 U
1,1‐Dichlorothene 0.40 U 0.33 U 0.40 U 0.34 U 0.40 U 0.34 U 0.40 U 0.31 U 0.40 U 0.36 U
Vinyl Chloride 0.32 U 0.21 U 0.32 U 0.22 U 0.32 U 0.22 U 0.32 U 0.20 U 0.32 U 0.23 U
Samples collected in June 2012
Units in micrograms/cubic meter (ug/m3)
Note:
No established uptake rates for cis- and trans-1,2-DCE
Beacon used uptake rates that were approximated from the rates for
similar compounds with the sorbent used
Uptake rate studies for 1,2-DCE compounds are needed
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37. Passive Sampling – 14 day Sampling Periods
Comparison Data
Sample Location Indoor #1 Indoor #2 Indoor #3 Indoor #4
TO‐17 TO‐17 TO‐17 TO‐17
TO‐15 RPD TO‐15 RPD TO‐15 RPD TO‐15 RPD
Compound (14 day) (14 day) (14 day) (14 day)
Tetrachloroethene 3.4 3.4 0% 3.6 3.6 0% 0.45 J 0.43 J 5% 0.82 J 0.73 J 12%
Trichloroethene 1.3 1.2 8% 1.8 1.3 32% 0.11 U 0.46 U NA 16 13 21%
Samples collected in June 2012
Units in micrograms/cubic meter (ug/m3)
Strong correlation between passive diffusion sorbent tubes and summa
canister data for the two primary compounds of concern (PCE and TCE)
considering different sampling durations and sampling methods.
Both compounds have established uptake rates for the sorbent tubes used
ISO 16017-2: Indoor, ambient and workplace air -- Sampling and analysis
of volatile organic compounds by sorbent tube/thermal desorption/capillary
gas chromatography -- Part 2: Diffusive sampling 37

38. Conclusions
• Sorbent technologies can be used to target a broad range of VOCs and
SVOCs employing easy-to-use techniques for time integrated measurements
• Passive soil gas methods allow for the rapid collection of data to produce
high resolution data sets to collect “effective data”
• High resolution site characterization allows you to better delineate
contamination and refine the conceptual site model (CSM)
• PSG surveys allow you to reduce the number of required soil, soil gas, and
groundwater samples, which reduces the overall project costs.
• Based on the described study and other prior sampling, passive diffusion
samplers allow you to sample over several days or weeks to measure organic
compounds in indoor and ambient air providing a sample that may be more
representative of average concentrations
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39. Any Questions?
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40. Thank you
Please contact us if you have any questions, to discuss project applications,
or schedule training at your regional office:
Beacon Environmental Services, Inc.
Harry O’Neill
Bel Air, MD USA
1-410-838-8780
harry.oneill@beacon-usa.com
www.beacon-usa.com
Thank you!
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